Eight 49ers on NFC Pro Bowl roster

The 49ers received good news Tuesday when eight of their players were named to the NFC’s 43-man Pro Bowl roster.

Now, they’ll hope for better news next month: that those players will be busy preparing for another game when the Pro Bowl is played Jan. 29 in Honolulu.

“Hopefully, we won’t be there,” punter Andy Lee said. “Hopefully we’ll be at the Super Bowl.”

A trip to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Feb. 5, of course, is the 49ers’ ultimate goal, and the fact that they have eight Pro Bowlers this season is a reminder that they have a realistic chance of reaching the NFL’s biggest game.

San Francisco (12-3) will be represented by six starters in Honolulu in Lee, placekicker David Akers, defensive tackle Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Carlos Rogers and left tackle Joe Staley.

The six Pro Bowl starters matches the most in franchise history. They also had six starters in 1971. San Francisco and New England, which also had eight players selected, have the most Pro Bowlers of any NFL team this season, and the 49ers’ eight are their most since they had 10 in 1995.

Willis, a five-year veteran who was named to his fifth Pro Bowl, is thrilled to have company this season. In 2008, Willis was San Francisco’s lone Pro Bowl representative.

“I remember when it was just me over there, and now to have more of us be a part of it speaks a lot about our team,” Willis said.

Rogers reiterated his desire to remain in San Francisco when he becomes a free agent after the season. He has likely earned a lucrative contract due to his suddenly reliable hands. Rogers’ career-high six interceptions are tied for fourth most in the NFL and are four more than he had in any of his first six seasons in Washington.

“That separates you from just an average corner, just a good cover guy,” Rogers said.